UCLA received funding from the National Library of Medicine's IAIMS program to "disseminate, discuss and define the role of integrated information management resources and systems in education, research and patient care for the UCLA academic health sciences center in the 21st century". The UCLA IAIMS planning effort is known as UCLA InfoShare to emphasize collaboration and sharing of information. This grant is the revision of an operations grant that grew from the assessment of information management needs identified in the planning phase. The grant is based on fundamental policies at UCLA to choose practical proven technology for robust information systems, to leverage investments in information systems for one area of patient care, education or research to enhance activities in the others, and to build on the good ideas of entrepreneurial faculty. We describe the federation of best of breed electronic medical data systems under Clinical Network Information Exchange as the basis of our electronic medical record (EMR). Clinical authorization to use the EMR will be enhanced by specific authorizations for research and education. Individual authorizations will store preferences for context-specific views of the medical record. Views of the medical record will be enhanced by tailoring the presentation appropriate to the context in which the data is requested, i.e., specialized clinical area, research or education. Computer order entry will be enhanced by standard order sets for specific clinical problems or clinical research. The standard order sets will be written by local experts based on guidelines and literature review with interaction of students and residents. Investment in an IRB electronic administration system will be linked to the electronic medical record for authentication, tailored view of the medical record, and synchronized standard order sets to enhance clinical research.